Porsche Eyes 7

NEW YORK Porsche North America said it has chosen seven shops to pitch its ad account.

In the running are independents Anomaly, mcgarrybowen and SS+K in New York and Cramer-Krasselt in Chicago; and three Interpublic Group shops: incumbent Carmichael Lynch in Minneapois, The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., and Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos in New York.

The client spends about $25 million annually on domestic ads, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Client executives will visit the agencies during the first two weeks of July. Based on those meetings, Porsche will cut to finalists. The client hopes to hire an agency by the end of August.

The review was spurred by the recent promotion of David Pryor to svp of marketing and the company’s planned launch of a four-door sedan in 2009. At the time the client noted the review was “process driven, and not a reflection of any dissatisfaction with CL’s work.”

In March, Porsche picked consultants Ann Billock and Russel Wohlwerth to guide the review. The pair are doing so under the name Ark Advisors.